Skincare + Makeup Favorites

This is a little odd coming from someone who never wore makeup but anyway. I have suffered from cystic acne about 3 years. I started getting a lot of cysts in the beginning of high school. I always get really large and red acne which was painful and takes a heck of a long time to disappear, then it takes even longer for the scars. 

I tried (almost) everything I could to get rid of them, or at least reduce the formation of pimples but nothing really seemed to be working out. I tried many different kinds of products on the market that were targeted towards blemished and oily skin. I was using SebaMed acne range and it worked out pretty well for a couple of months but at one point it stopped working. Then I switched my face wash to The Body Shop's Tea Tree facial wash and I loved it. I loved the feeling I got everytime I was finished washing my face but it worked out alright. Didn't prevent gigantic zits from popping out, which I wasn't expecting anyway. 

One time it got to the point where my skin was really bad and I had giant pimples all over my face so I decided to consult a dermatologist and she gave me all these acne medications and they worked really well. My skin cleared up dramatically but I stopped using them after a year. No reason in particular, I just wanted to see if my skin would be doing okay and if it would break out just as less as when I was using those prescription creams. But my skin has been doing good so far without them, which leads me to the main content of this post: My favorite skincare and make up products, or should I say favorite skin stuff??? Which one sounds better? Wow that was a long ass intro. 

Skincare Products

1. Kiehl's Clearly Corrective Skin Brightening Exfoliator

I've had this just sitting on the shelf for a long time. I bought it before I even started my Erha medication and didn't use it ever since. When I ran out of my Erha face wash I decided to try using this product again and see how it would work out on my skin and my skin had never been better. I was breaking out less than before. I had absolutely no idea considering this product is not targeted towards people with acne problems. It is only supposed to make your skin brighter but somehow it helped with my acne and I'm glad I'm back to using it.

2. Kiehl's Blue Herbal Moisturizer

This moisturizer was also just sitting on the shelf along with my Kiehl's scrub, and ever since I ran out of my prescription creams I started using this again to replace those creams. My skin was breaking out less and I think the combination of the scrub and this moisturizer is why my skin is clearer now (note: I did say clearer, it is not completely cleared up. I still have giant pimples here and there but definitely not as worse as when I was in high school). I bought this moisturizer because I received a sample of this and I loved it. This is a gel type moisturizer that sinks into the skin fast and makes my skin feel smooth like nothing else. The only con is the scent, I personally feel like it kinda smells like glue???? Which I don't mind anyway.

Make Up Products

1. Bourjois Air Mat Foundation

My whole I was avoiding using foundation as I have extremely oily skin already, but a few days ago I was interested to purchase a foundation of my own that actually gives me coverage. I was initially going for the healthy skin foundation but the store didn't have it and the lady showed me this foundation, which is a matte foundation and I thought it would be perfect for my oily skin (not that I was hoping it would mattify my skin the whole day, I know no matter what product I use I will always be oily a few minutes after. No joke). Till then I realized the healthy mix had a dewy result which I should probably avoid, that's why I bought the Air Mat Foundation instead. I got the shade 04 - Beige. The texture is very smooth and it really does feel like I'm not wearing any foundation. It doesn't make my skin more oily which is a major plus for me. 

2. Acnes Mentholatum Pressed Powder

I used this before I bought my foundation and it's just an average pressed powder, really. Mine is in the shade lovely pink which I believe is the darkest or second darkest color. It matches my skin tone pretty well and the reason why I like this powder is because it doesn't break me out which is the most important. 

3. LA Girl Pro Concealer & Revlon Colorstay Concealer

I decided not to seperate them because I mix both concealers in order to match my skin tone. I had the Revlon concealer way before I bought my LA Girl concealer and I find that it is too light for my skin, so I bought another concealer online which was LA Girl. It turned out that it was too dark and yellow for my skin so instead buying another concealer that matches my skin, I came up with a solution to mix them both and it works just fine.


4. Silkygirl Precision Sharp Eyeliner Pen

An eyeliner is the one makeup product that I have always been avoiding because I found that it makes me look so much older. But I finally gave it another try and it looks good and I especially like the pen version better than liquid and pencil is because it's easier to apply. It is waterproof but that doesn't mean you can rub your eyes hard especially using water as it will smudge eventually. 

Lip Products

1. Carmex Lip Balm

I love this lip balm because the consistency is very thick which I like because I tend to have really dry lips. As for the scent, I can't really describe anything specific except that it smells sweet. Unfortunately I got this lip balm in Vancouver so I don't know where am I supposed to repurchase it when I use it out (which is pretty soon).

2. NYX Butter Lipstick - Pops Explosif

I recently bought this lipstick cause I was looking for a nude color with a hint of pink so it's not too nude nor too pink and I found the perfect color which is NYX Butter Lipstick. The reason I was looking for this particular color is because I wanted to have something I can put on with any outfit and looks natural but I still look like I'm wearing something on my lips. This lipstick glides smoothly on my lips and the color is quite pigmented and it has a finish that I can't really describe. It's not matte nor it is glossy. I find myself having to reapply after I drink or eat but I don't mind cause I didn't expect much from this lipstick anyway. 

3. Colourpop Ultra Matte Lip - Beeper

This might be my best purchase for lip product in my life as it has a very good quality. It has a matte finish which I always love and color is super pigmented. The texture is very smooth and it dries pretty quickly. It will last you hours even after having meals and drinks and definitely won't come off unless I use a makeup remover. There's nothing really much to say about it except that is makes my lips dry (but not severely dry). Other than that, it is my favorite lip product ever. 

4. NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream - Copenhagen

Surprise, surprise. Another matte lip product. This is a darker shade of red but I the way I like to use it is to apply a thin layer to create more of a pink/purple-ish color with a hint of red instead of the really bold dark red color. But sometimes I would use a think layer so it shows its true shade. This lip cream is quite drying (as most matte lip products are), and it doesn't last as long as the Colourpop Ultra Matte Lip. But still a great color.